random stuff in dc

[Matt Latuchie]

we were celebrating the 2 year anniversary of the Weygandt Wines store in DC so we opened up some interesting wines. It was a fun afternoon/evening with a very eclectic mix of wines. thanks to Yule for stopping by.

2007 Bernard Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes - Coeur de Roy

a meaty, dense pinot with a beautiful nose and a long life ahead of it. this will reward the patient.

2007 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Cuvée Sacha

Lots of butterscotch and heat on the nose with a far more refined palate. if the nose doesn't scare you off, you're all good.

2003 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Spéciale La Tourtine

Not as dense and scary as you'd think. Violets, some pepperoni and cedar. Will be better with time.

2010 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive

Very energetic with endless stones, violets and dark berries...palate was more taut than the bottle i had three nights ago.

2006 Domaine La Chapiniere Touraine Garnon

Lots of brett, which doesn't bother me too much. Palate was silky and more refined than the nose. Nice dried florals, subtle tobacco and some peppers.

2008 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Blanc La Croix Boissée

Incredible balance and energy on the palate. Youthful, but already exhibits a very graceful foundation. Will be a long distance runner.

2009 Alfredo Maestro Ribera del Duero La Guindalera

A total mindfuck. Tom brought this bottle blind and it fooled all of us. Incredibly lithe and elegant for a tempranillo. Doesn't have the peppery red fruit I'm used to, but wow...what an classy effort here. Soft red fruit, minerals, some fresh spices and even some mushroom. So good.

 

[Yule Kim]

Thanks Matt for giving me a heads up on the tasting. It was great meeting you, Tim, and Tom.

I pretty much blew threw a lot of the wine, so didn't get a strong sense on some of them, but some that stood out:

2003 Tempier: It started off awkwardly, feeling a little hollow on the edges, a little simple. It improved immensely with air and time, however, fleshing out with more pronounced gamey notes. For a 2003, I thought it rather successful.

2007 Dugat-Py G-V: To be honest, I am not a huge fan of this producer, feeling they can be a little overdone, but this glass was surprisingly elegant. Maybe it is a hallmark of the vintage, and it is a village wine, but, regardless, I enjoyed this and feel it would go well with food. Not nearly as palate-staining and turbo-charged as a village Pommard and some premier crus I had from this producer several years back.

2010 Roilette Tardive: It didn't seem shut down at all. A lovely dark fruited wine laced with rocks and crunchy acidity. This bottle reminds me why I love this producer and why I love Moulin a Vent (oh wait, the wine bureaucracy has made this a Fleurie...)

2007 Puffeney Arbois: I hate to admit this, but this was my first Jura white. On the nose, this wine was extremely intimidating. Matt characterized it as lacquer; it reminded me of paint-thinner. But, on the palate, this is extremely fine, crisp, and refreshing, with faint hints of nuttiness. Oxidative wines are tops.

2006 Domaine La Chapinere Touraine Garnon: For me, this was a brett-bomb. It may have been elegant on the palate with decent underlying material, but, I don't think I could have finished a glass of this. It would have been like standing downstream with my mouth wide open while Hercules cleaned the Augean Stables. Personally, I think this bottle might have been exposed to some heat, causing the brett to bloom, but that is just speculation. This was 100% Cot, I believe.

2009 Alfredo Maestro Ribera del Duero La Guindalera: This was a crazy wine. Apparently the primary variety was tempranillo, we drank this blind and everyone was thinking Beaujolais, maybe Poulsard. With bright, red fruit and a hint of earthiness, this was all too easy to drink and was sublimely gouleyant. This wine was delicious, but, probably not a great expression of the terroir of Ribera del Duero. It was, at the very least, an atypical expression. I think this wine would be a poster-child for those who complain about natural wine-spoof...good thing I like natural wine, even if it is natural wine of the spoofed variety. This was a Jose Pastor Import.

There was also a selection of Umbrian wines. I thought the Trebbiano was tasty and one of the Montefalco Rossos was showing very well. The barbera d'asti, while simple, would be a wine I would recommend to my non-wine friends to help them get off the Whole Foods/Trader Joe bandwagon they are all on.

Thanks again Matt! And extend my thanks to Tim and Tom when you see them next. Looking forward to drinking some more wine with you guys soon!